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CCA Calls for Denial of Longline Permits

Proposal would allow longliners into conservation zones under guise of “research”

Conservationists are sounding the alarm over a proposal to issue Exempted Fishing Permits (EFP) that would crack open the door for the commercial longline industry to fish in conservation zones created in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. “While there are undoubtedly legitimate uses for EFPs, in this case they are a thinly veiled excuse to introduce longlining, under the guise of a bycatch studies or other research, back into areas that were justifiably closed to such gear,” said Chester Brewer, chairman of the CCA National Government Relations Committee. “The ocean is a big place, and any research or gear modifications can be studied in areas where longliners are already allowed to set their gear. There is certainly no justification for allowing them into conservation zones. Proposals like this should be rejected outright.” The conservation zones were originally created to eliminate bycatch and mortality of sailfish, marlins and undersized swordfish and yet the current EFP proposal would authorize the commercial take of tunas, swordfish billfishes and sharks for “scientific data collection and public display.” The National Marine Fisheries Service states the EFPs could be used to allow commercial pelagic longline vessels into conservation zones off the east coast of Florida and the Charleston Bump to investigate bycatch “hotspots.” Adding insult to injury, the announcement from NMFS states that some EFP applicants are likely to request some form of compensation fishing to offset the expenses for vessel owners participating in the “research” efforts. “Not only do they want to be allowed to fish commercially in conservation zones, the vessels participating in these ‘research’ efforts would also be exempt from regulations – including seasons – and be allowed to keep and sell whatever they catch,” said Brewer. “It’s outrageous. If the goal is to find the best ways to reduce bycatch, then the time and money spent on these types of proposals would be better applied to a program to switch longliners to less wasteful and destructive buoy gear or just buy them out entirely. That would be far more productive.” CCA is submitting comments in opposition to the EFP proposal and is urging its members to make their voices heard. Comments must be received by December 20 and may be sent to:

FWC Game Fish / Sport Fish Webinar

CCA Florida would like for our members to become involved and voice their opinions in a very important issue that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) and Chairman Wright are spearheading. FWC will hold webinars concerning Sport Fish and Game Fish designations on December 10th and 12th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. The FWC is asking for your help and would like for you to join in and give your comments. Some of the aspects of the Game Fish and Sport Fish designations have received mixed reviews among Florida anglers and we need your input. CCA will continue to work closely with FWC concerning this issue. Your comments are very important and CCA Florida encourages you to participate and voice your opinion.

Please click HERE to see the full press release regarding the webinars and how to attend them. If you have any questions please contact Trip Aukeman at 850-559-0060.

Please click HERE to review the FWC's Game Fish and Sport Fish PowerPoint presentation as well as the following press release that the FWC sent out following their December 5th meeting in which the Game Fish and Sport Fish Designations were discussed.

For immediate release: December 5, 2012Contact: Amanda Nalley, 850-410-4943FWC Commission considering creating saltwater game fish and sport fish designationsThe Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) discussed the possibility of creating saltwater game fish and sport fish designations at its Dec. 5 Commission meeting in Apalachicola. After public comment from 18 people and the Commissioners’ discussion, the FWC decided to approve the proposed draft rule about the designation. The Commission will possibly make a final decision on this measure at its February meeting in Orlando.

While Florida has many recreationally important species, it does not have an official saltwater game fish or sport fish designation.

Reasons for considering these changes include helping highlight and protect some of Florida’s premier recreational fish and encouraging anglers to adopt voluntary conservation practices such as catch-and-release. If adopted, these changes could lead to healthier fish populations and help Florida market its unique fishing opportunities to residents and visitors.

“I think it’s an opportunity for this Commission to create a lasting legacy,” said Chairman Kenneth Wright. “I think it will send a signal to fishermen around the world that we are a world-class fishing destination.”

At the meeting, staff presented the Commission with potential game fish and sport fish definitions and described how fish within these designations could be managed.

Suggested parameters for game fish would include no commercial harvest, possession or sale.

The sport fish designation would offer a higher level of protection than game fish by making selected species catch-and-release only, including no recreational harvest as well as no commercial harvest, possession or sale.

Before moving forward with the proposal, the Commission decided to remove a parameter that would have limited gear to hook-and-line only for both designations. They also removed another parameter that was proposed for the game fish designation only that would have required captain and crew of for-hire vessels such as charter boats to have a bag limit of zero and not be allowed to take fish home for themselves.

Which fish species will be included under the game fish or sport fish designations will not be decided at the February Commission meeting. If game fish and sport fish designations are approved, staff will return to future meetings with suggestions for potential fish species candidates.

Recreational fishing in Florida has a high cultural and economic value, and protecting Florida’s premier recreational fish is a priority of the Commission.

We in the sportfishing community were appreciative of the effort you and Eric Schwaab made to improve communication and relationships through the Saltwater Recreational Summit held in Virginia at the beginning of your term as Administrator of NOAA. There were many important commitments made at that meeting, particularly ones made by you. While you have followed through on some of those commitments, there is one very notable exception that is quite concerning to us.

At that meeting in 2010, you noted that the allocation process between sport and commercial fisheries was "rusted shut" and many mixed sector fisheries are operating on outdated allocations based on history rather than optimizing socioeconomic values for the future. You stated that if we are really serious about maximizing jobs and economic value for the future, we have to address this issue regularly and with a standardized, analytical approach.

While we were pleased to have Eric follow up and commission former State Director George Lapointe to survey many of us as to what approaches would be needed, we were concerned that many on the Fishery Management Councils and some NOAA Fisheries Service staff opposed this effort and did not want the issue of allocation systematically reviewed. This pushback was expected, and is symptomatic of the agency culture that has always favored a stable commercial fishery and regarded the sportfish industry as an after-thought. It is this culture that locked in allocations in the first place.

We understand that the report prepared by Mr. Lapointe was submitted to NOAA Fisheries almost a year ago and, as far as we can tell, no meaningful action has been taken on it since submission. We are writing you to express our continuing apprehension that your first term as NOAA Administrator may expire without action on reallocation. There is still time to follow through and complete the development of a systematic framework to regularly review allocation, but it clearly requires your continuing commitment and leadership to unlock the inner workings of NOAA Fisheries that are rusted shut on this issue.

Please review this important situation and ensure that your commitment to us at the Summit has not been lost in process. Good progress on this issue was made initially, but we must guard against defenders of the status quo smothering this initiative with inertia and inaction.

You have asked us to hold you and Eric accountable to these commitments and while we are respectfully doing that, we are also offering our assistance to keep this process moving forward.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement officers completed a comprehensive investigation Wednesday that included more than 200 criminal violations by 21 individuals in Orange, Lake, Osceola, Polk and St. Lucie counties. The 22-month operation targeted individuals who illegally bought fish and wildlife products in Florida and shipped them out of state to be sold to the public.

“The suspects were ultimately working together in a criminal conspiracy,” said Maj. Curtis Brown, head of the FWC’s Investigations section.

Officers determined the suspects were buying products from poachers and unlicensed individuals and shipping them to markets out of state. Today, they shut them down. Those out-of-state markets are still being investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“This was a large-scale illegal poaching operation with serious implications for the environment, economy and public health,” Brown said.

The suspects made one or two trips a month, transporting 2,000 to 3,000 pounds of product each trip to its markets.

“They placed orders that included one for 900 pounds of poached white-tailed deer and another for 500 pounds of illegal snook,” Brown said.

To date, the operation has identified 21 suspects. The criminal charges include 147 misdemeanor violations and 75 felony violations. Ten suspects were arrested and taken to local county jails today; the rest were issued notices to appear.

Undercover officers successfully infiltrated the illegal operations and were able to gather sufficient evidence of the crimes. The species involved include grouper, snapper, trout, redfish, snook, bass, bream, catfish, deer, turkey, ducks and alligator.

“Some of those are restricted species,” Brown said. “Over-harvesting, taking them out of season or taking them by illegal methods harms the resource, undermining conservation efforts.”

The FWC says shutting down illegal operations like this is also important for public health. When game is harvested and sold illegally, it does not go through the same processes or undergo the same food health inspections necessary to protect the public.

“The public has a right to purchase safe, legally harvested products without concern for the safety of their food,” Brown said.

Shutting down this operation also benefits the local economy. Illegal activities can seriously impact legal businesses.

“For example, there are deer farmers and commercial fishermen who harvest and sell their products legally,” Brown said. “Individuals who operate illegally often sell their products cheaper, essentially stealing profits from the law-abiding businesses.”

In addition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the FWC worked with partner organizations including the National Wild Turkey Federation, Humane Society of the United States and Ducks Unlimited.

“This was a great team effort to support our legal commercial markets, protect Florida’s valuable natural resources and allow the public to safely enjoy them,” Brown said.

The public can help by reporting to the FWC suspected violations of illegally harvesting or selling fish and wildlife. To make a report, call the Wildlife Alert hotline (888) 404-FWCC ore-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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We understand that the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has asked for the input of the Commission on the management of gag grouper in the Gulf. We view this as a long overdue concession in light of the vast majority of gags being landed from the Gulf of Mexico waters are landed on Florida shores, and an effective way to avoid any inconsistency between state and federal regulations. We would like to share with you our views on the ongoing management of gags in the Gulf.

Perhaps the biggest issue we have had with the management of gags to date (as well as certain other species) has been the lack of an allocation between sectors that is not only fair but also provides the greatest benefit to our state and the nation. All analyses of the relative economic impacts of the recreational and commercial sectors for gags have overwhelmingly shown the greatest impact to come from the recreational sector. We reject as patently unfair the idea that those who exploit a public resource for profit should be able to do so while the public realizes not even a reasonable season or reasonable size or bag limits. We thus urge the Commission to recommend that the Gulf Council promptly re-allocate the allowable catch of gag grouper fairly and to allow for the greatest benefit to our state and our nation before the 2013 management regulations are put in place.

A second problem that exists with the commercial take of gags in the Gulf is the lack of protection of the stock during its spawning aggregations. Like a number of animals, gags are known to be "harem breeders", meaning that a single dominant male attends to a number of females. These large males tend to be the most aggressive feeders during the spawning aggregations and often caught very early in the spawn, which leaves the spawning potential of the stock well below what it would be if no directed effort were permitted for the commercial sector during the spawn, as is the case with the recreational sector.

We also view the new release devices, such as the SeaQualizer, and techniques that have recently come to light as effective ways to reduce release mortality from the "baro-trauma" that often results in fish caught in deeper waters. The Gulf Council should immediately review the studies that have shown the effectiveness of these new devices and techniques and should permit their use unless concerns that we have not seen are shown to exist.

In terms of a bag limit and the open season for the recreational take of gags, CCA Florida urges the longest possible season and strongly advocates in favor of a no less than a 2 fish bag limit. Because reducing the bag limit to 1 fish will not significantly lengthen the season, we would very much like to see the bag limit stay at 2 fish. Although the split season proposals that we have seen would not provide as long an open season as the single season proposals that we have seen, we recognize that a split season may provide the greatest benefit to the most Floridians and our visitors and we are not opposed to a split season that includes equal summer and winter subseasons with the maximum number of allowable days.

We very much appreciate your service on the Commission and our relationship with you is very important to us. We hope that you will consider these comments in the spirit intended and that you will please contact us to discuss any questions or comments.

ST. MARKS, Fla. Commercial netting interests are once again trying to manipulate the State into allowing larger mesh sizes in fishing nets and improperly using them as gill nets, the Coastal Conservation Association of Florida said today.

The commercial fisherman say that as a result of the States regulations on net mesh size, the current nets are catching primarily juvenile fish before they have the chance to mature into adult fish.

The reality, however, is that these commercial fisherman are catching more mullet than they can sell. Earlier this year there was approximately 60,000 pounds of dead mullet found floating off Floridas coast with just the roe taken out. With the market price around 73 cents a pound it cannot withstand any more mullet in the stores or the price would plummet and there would be no profit.

In November 1994, an overwhelming 72 percent of Floridians voted yes on the constitutional amendment limiting marine net fishing. The amendment includes both a prohibition on the use of gill and entangling nets in all state waters and a size limit on other nets. Although the restrictions have been in place for 17 years, there are still factions within the commercial industry who refuse to accept the legal reality of the constitutional prohibition on gill nets.

Since 1994, there have been numerous lawsuits, attempts to create enforcement loopholes, and outright scams all designed to invalidate or circumvent provisions of the constitutional amendment. All have failed.

The commercial fishermen have gone to court again in an attempt to overturn key provisions in the 1994 net ban. Hoping to convince Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford of their side of the issue, a St. Marks commercial mullet fisherman took to the waters early one Friday morning to give the Judge a demonstration of the way they fish their nets. The commercial boat was followed by an FWC boat that was transporting Judge Fulford. However, he didnt show her the whole picture.

According to the Coastal Conservation Association, the fisherman spent unnecessary time searching in the St. Marks River inlets, creeks and bays to locate the perfectly sized fish to prove his point. When he found the right spot and cast the nets, he retrieved them like a gill net, instead of properly like a seine net, which caused more of the small fish to be caught in the net and very few legal size fish were caught. Only three net sets were made in about two and a half hours. This manipulated presentation to the judge depicted the idea that the nets are inadequate and the State needs to allow larger mesh netting.

The Florida Legislature, Florida courts and state agencies have upheld the clear intent of Florida voters, said Ted Forsgren, Special Advisor to CCA Florida. It is imperative that Judge Fulford thoroughly reviews all the previous legal decisions and conclusions of law and respect the citizen mandate and constitutional ban on gill nets.

Commercial net fishers have other legal options to catch mullet. Many use hand-thrown cast nets in conjunction with seine nets. The seine nets with two-inch or less mesh corral the fish, which are then caught by the cast nets. Cast nets are also used during fall migrations in rivers and bays when mullet are aggregated in large schools. Landings data confirms the viability of using cast nets and other legal nets. In the four-county area of Wakulla, Franklin, Jefferson and Dixie County commercial fishermen landed 493,614 pounds of mullet in 2011 and 579,027 pounds in 2010. Statewide more than 12.5 million pounds of mullet were landed in 2011.

For more information or to join CCA Florida, please visit CCA Floridas website at www.ccaflorida.org.

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South Atlantic Red Snapper Season set to Re-Open

A fishery that has been closed for three years now due to over-fishing is set to re-open in September of 2012. The South Atlantic Marine Fisheries Council (SAMFC) met in June of 2012 and discussed the options of a short season for Red Snapper in the South Atlantic. The SAMFC recommended to NOAA Fisheries that a limited harvest period be permitted on the east coast. The season will consist of two, three day weekends for recreational anglers, along with a small commercial harvest. CCA supported the opening if doing so would not delay the rebuilding plan or do harm to the stock. CCA told the Council that this fishery is a good candidate formanagement as primarily a recreational fishery in the South Atlantic, and that the greatest overall benefit to the country would be achieved by allocating most, if not all, of the catch to the recreational fishery.

NOAA Fisheries set the new recreational fishing season to open for two consecutive weekendsmade up of Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. This season pertains to the South Atlantic Ocean only. The recreational red snapper season opens at 12:01 a.m., local time, on September 14, 2012, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on September 17, 2012; the season then reopens at 12:01 a.m., local time, on September 21, 2012, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on September 24, 2012. During the open recreational season, the bag limit is one fish per person per day and there is no minimum size limit for the red snapper.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and its research institute (FWRI) will be very involved in data collection on the east coast of Florida. The FWRI is asking that recreational fishermen help with the data as they fish for Red Snapper in the Atlantic Ocean. The FWRI has set up drop off locations along the coast for red snapper carcasses. The Institute will gather critical data from the carcasses, such as age and growth rates, along with the overall health of the fishery. Please do your part for the fishery and instead of throwing the carcass out put them back on ice and take the carcasses to one of the confirmed drop off locations along the eastcoast of Florida. For a list of these and any other locations that have been added please click here. Officers and staff of CCA urge each of you to assist in this data collection, and do not see any negative effect to the recreational fisherman for providing your assistance.

Sportsmens Caucus urges Council to step back from unpopular catch shares, sector separation

WASHINGTON, DC â€“ In another sign of discontent over federal management of the nations marine fisheries, co-chairmen of the Congressional Sportsmens Caucus (CSC) have sent a letter to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council expressing the concerns of its membership over the concepts of catch share programs and sector separation. The bipartisan CSC is one of the largest and most effective caucuses in the US Congress with more than 300 members representing almost all 50 states.

â€œAs leaders of the Caucus, we are writing to report that continued consideration and promotion of the management concepts known as sector separation and catch shares by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council are causing concern among our members,â€ CSC co-chairmen Jeff Miller (R-Fl.) and Mike Ross (D-Ar.) state in the letter. â€œMore specifically, we have serious concerns about the current proposal to further subdivide the recreational fishing allocation by awarding the charter boats with their own guaranteed allocation.â€

The CSC goes on to question the process the Gulf Council is using to develop and implement sector separation and catch share programs, and points out that the Council first needs better scientific data, additional economic evaluations and demographic studies to assess how mixed used fisheries would best be reallocated.

â€œEven if such reallocation issues were analyzed and modified, taking a portion of the allocation from the recreational sector for the proposed charter boat sector has the potential to decrease the funding available for state fisheries management,â€ the CSC states. â€œThe members of the Caucus are well acquainted with the successes of state-based conservation, which is almost entirely guided and funded by sportsmen and the money they spend on fishing and hunting. The sportsmens ethic of stewardship is at the heart of the American System of Conservation Funding and is built, in part, on the foundation of individual anglers recreational fishing activities.â€

The letter from the CSC is yet another unequivocal message from elected officials to federal fishery managers in opposition to sector separation and catch share programs. In 2009, four Gulf state governors wrote a letter stating their opposition to catch shares and Congress has passed amendments cutting funding for such programs.

â€œWe hope the members of the Gulf Council are listening because the message from Governors, Congressmen, and the recreational angling community is quite clear â€“ privatizing public wildlife resources through sector separation and catch shares is the wrong direction,â€ said Chester Brewer, chairman of Coastal Conservation Associations National Government Relations Committee. â€œIf the Council and NOAA Fisheries continue to ignore this message, then that should be interpreted as yet more evidence that the federal management system is broken and Congress should engage to either rein in a federal agency that has lost its way or explore a completely new paradigm for managing the nations marine resources.â€

To see the full letter from the Congressional Sportsmens Caucus, click HERE.